


The Price Of A Curse

by Shimmera



Category: Maleficent (2014)
Genre: F/F, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-05-06
Updated: 2015-05-06
Packaged: 2018-03-29 07:32:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,475
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3887629
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Shimmera/pseuds/Shimmera
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A different take on how the last battle may have ended.  You could read this as either a Malora or just a mother/daughter story, whichever you prefer.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Price Of A Curse

Stefan raised his sword and prepared to strike the fairy creature that threatened his crown. Before he did a blinding flash of golden hued light forced him to stumbled backwards, hand held over his eyes for protection. When he felt rather than saw the light dim, he lowered his arm and his eyes widened and he felt his jaw slacken.

Maleficent had her wings back. He watched dumbfounded as the fairy rose into the air. As Maleficent’s gaze shifted from Stefan to the level above the great hall and a look of what he could only describe as pure adoration washed over her face. Maleficent was looking at his daughter. Taking a glance at the child, Stefan saw the sentiment was returned. And then it all made sense. His daughter, his flesh and blood had given Maleficent her wings back. She had betrayed him. She’d betrayed her kingdom and even her very race! Rage filled him till all he saw was red. The king retrieved a fallen spear from the ground and he saw Maleficent tense, preparing for his attack. He heft the spear in his hand and pulled back to throw, but at the last second he changed his aim and the spear flew to the side, past Maleficent who now eyed the weapon in horror as the realization of his true target registered on her face. He felt a cold satisfaction fill him at the look and even greater satisfaction at the winged bitch’s agonized scream as the spear hit its mark.

Straight into Aurora’s gut. No one betrayed the king, not even his own daughter. The little traitor was hardly his at this point anyway. “Hold your fire.” He told his men as he watched Maleficent rush to Aurora’s side. When he had taken Maleficent’s wings he had felt truly remorseful as her cries had echoed throughout the forest that day long ago. Now he felt only pleasure at her agonized wails and pleas for the girl to hold on. When he saw Maleficent pick Aurora’s still form up into her arms and eyed the room frantically he knew it was time to end it, before she escaped.

“Kill her, now!” he shouted as he glanced around for another spear to throw. Maleficent dodged this way and that, managing to avoid every spear thrown her way, while still maintaining her grip on Aurora. “Hold tight Aurora!” he heard the fairy say as she twirled around the room, snapping chains that until that moment had held Maleficent’s dragon familiar at bay. Freed, the dragon let out a breath of fire that caused both the king and his men to duck for cover. When the hot flame and smoke had cleared the king gave a frustrated scream.

Broken glass lay shattered against the ground below the once massive stained glass window and the room was now devoid of all but the humans. “Ready the horses! We must finish her!” He ordered as he ran from the room. He would not rest until Maleficent lay broken and dead at his feet, and her precious Moors burnt to the ground.  
Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Maleficent clung to Diaval the dragon. Aurora, unconscious, was magically suspended above Maleficent. The golden swirls of her magic keeping the princess tethered to her while ensuring that her injury was not made worse from the travel. While she would love nothing more than to fly into the night sky now that her wings had been returned, the giant wings of a dragon would far outpace what she was capable of. They needed every second if she was to save Aurora. “Faster Diaval.” She pleaded more than ordered. She felt a gnawing hole fill her gut with every passing second. Only the power of the Moors could save her beastie now.

The girl had been conscious when Maleficent had freed Diaval, but sometime between freeing him and smashing through the iron protected glass window the princess’ grip around Maleficent’s neck and slackened and had it not been for the fairy’s magic the girl would have plummeted to the earth below. Maleficent worried that carrying the girl throughout the attack aggravated the injury further. She had not removed the spear for fear it would cause Aurora to bleed out more than she already was. The girl’s skin was already pale as snow and the fairy’s heart clenched, a tear escaping and rolled down her cheek. Was this the curse’s doing? Was this Maleficent’s ultimate punishment for having cast such a terrible spell on an innocent babe? The fairy clenched her jaw. If it was she would not allow it, no matter the cost.

Landing somewhat ungracefully in his unfamiliar form, Diaval managed to stumble into a big enough clearing for his massive body just shy of Maleficent’s rowan tree. Maleficent leapt from his back and pulled Aurora along behind her with her magic, with a quick flick of her wrist the dragon became a man and Diaval hurried along behind her.

“Mistress how can I help?” Diaval glanced to Aurora with a pained expression as he followed along. They had reached the foot of Maleficent’s rowan before she answered him.

“I need you to run to Aurora’s cottage and fetch her blankets, and if you can find bandages or other medicinal supplies those may be needed as well. I am unsure how much I will be able to heal.” Maleficent listed off a few herbs and other fauna the man was to collect along the way as well.  
Diaval hesitated for only a moment, clearly not wanting to leave them when Aurora’s fate was yet still uncertain, but he nodded and quickly turned and ran. He had never failed his Mistress before and tonight would not be the first. Not with precious Aurora at stake.

With Diaval gone, Maleficent gently lowered Aurora to the ground beneath the rowan. She sank to her knees alongside her, palms spread above the unconscious princess. The spear had run Aurora clear through the gut and dark blood oozed sluggishly around it. Honeyed light spread outward from her palms and towards Aurora’s still form. Carefully the wisps of magic lifted the spear free of the wound and dropped it to the side. Blood oozed more thickly now from the wound and Maleficent gritted her teeth as she fed more power to Aurora. Maleficent’s eyes closed and she saw nothing but felt everything. The torn muscle wall, a lacerated blood vessel. By a miracle the spear appeared to have missed major organs but the blood loss was great. Her Beastie would bleed out if she could not heal her. It was not unlike what she sensed when healing diseased trees or broken branches. But this was far more complex, her magic was not meant to heal living creatures. Beads of sweat dripped from the fairy’s brow and she concentrated on knitting together the wound.

Diaval had returned before she’d released the magic with a gasp. She shot out a shaky arm to keep her trembling body from toppling over. She glanced, chest heaving from exertion at Diaval who after carefully setting a pack down near the pair, rushed to aid Maleficent.

“Mistress?” His eyes bore into hers with worry, then shifted to Aurora’s still form.

“I have done all that I am able.” She finally said out of breath, allowing Diaval to assist her back into a sitting position, her body still trembling with exertion. “The rest is up to Aurora.” She swallowed then nodded towards the discarded pack Diaval had brought with him. “Did you find all that I asked for?”  
Diaval nodded. “Yes Mistress. I also retrieved a mortar and pestle from the cottage, a bit of water from the river so you would not need leave her side to retrieve her some, and a few of Aurora’s dresses, she might find them more comfortable than what she’s wearing now when she wakes.” Diaval’s voice trailed nervously, his brow furrowed.

Maleficent felt her face gentle for the first time since Aurora had been struck. She gave Diaval a small smile and lay a shaky hand on his forearm. “She is strong.” She told him. “And what you have brought will help her greatly, I am sure of it.”

“Mistress-“

“Maleficent,” she interrupted as she turned and began rummaging through the pack of supplies.

“What?” Diaval cocked his head to the side quizzically, much like he would have in his raven form.  
Not lifting her eyes from her task of sorting herbs Maleficent replied. “Diaval you long paid your debt to me. If you wish you may leave, but if you choose to stay, as my friend, I insist you call me by my name.” She began smashing a few of the herbs with the mortar and pestle, concentrating more on her task than on Diaval.

“Leave?” Diaval stumbled as he fumbled in the pack pulling out a bandage for Maleficent to coat it with the salve she was making. “Wh-where would I go? You and Aurora are all I have.” His voice was panicked and for moment Maleficent halted her task to look at the shapeshifter with an expression that was a mix of exasperation and amusement.

“Diaval, I told you, if you wish you may stay.” Maleficent resisted rolling her eyes at the man’s dumbfounded expression as she moved to wrap Aurora’s wound. Diaval, still a bit bewildered followed and assisted her in moving Aurora as gently as possible to clean and wrap what was left of the wound. They then lay out the bedding Diaval had retrieved and got Aurora settled as comfortable as they could manage.

“Oh.” He finally said. He decided to think about all of what his ‘freedom’ meant later. He returned his concern back to Aurora. “How bad is it now?”

“I have healed the bit that was causing so much blood, but I could not repair the muscle or close the wound. I…I could not do any more.” She looked down at Aurora’s pale face, regret marring her face.

“You’ve given her a chance then.” Diaval said. Deciding to test is newly acquired ‘freedom’ out he placed a gentle hand on Maleficent’s which lay still on Aurora’s cold ones. She tore her gaze from Aurora to meet his with a pained expression. The silence stretched for a few moments more before she reluctantly nodded.

“Perhaps.” Her gaze then lifted to the star studded sky. “All we can do now is wait.”  
Diaval watched her gaze up at the heavens and for the first time that night considered what it must be like to suddenly have wings after over 16 years of being without. “I can watch her,” he offered, “if you’d like to go up there.” Diaval nodded to the sky.

A ghost of a smile twitched on Maleficent’s face and her wings fluttered unconsciously behind her. “No,” she said quietly. “Thank you but I wish to stay close until at least she wakes on her own.”

Diaval nodded. “Right then.” He shifted his seated position so that he leaned against the rowan. “I suppose now we wait.”

Maleficent nodded him then returned her gaze to the stars. “Now we wait.”

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx  
Aurora was first aware of the familiar sounds of the Moors at day break. Chittering fairies and pixies and not to mention the gentle sounds of the birds singing. The Moors? How had she gotten there? Aurora tensed, opening her eyes only to close them immediately as pain wracked her body and she let out an agonized moan.

Maleficent, who had been quietly watching the sun rise from the cliff’s edge started at the sound and she quickly rushed to Aurora’s side.

“Aurora?” she asked laying a hand to Aurora’s chest to keep the girl from moving the wrong way and further aggravating her wounds. “Lay still you are hurt.”

“Godmother?” Aurora managed to hiss out between pained breaths. She tried opening her eyes again and once they adjusted to the morning light, she saw her godmother looking down on her with gentle concern. “Water?” she rasped. Thankful for the canteen of water Diaval had thoughtfully filled Maleficent gently lifted the princess up just enough to gulp down a few mouthfuls. “What happened?” Aurora croaked out once she had been resettled on her pillow.

“What do you remember?” Maleficent asked.

“I remember…there was fire, and they had you under the net of iron… Diaval helped you escape it and then…you told me to run…I did…and…Oh Godmother your wings!” Aurora looked up suddenly realizing the two appendages that had not been there the morning before. Maleficent gave a soft smile and her wings stretched out lazily for the girl to take in. Aurora let out a small laugh of amazement, her face beaming, despite her obvious discomfort. “Oh Godmother they are beautiful…and so big, just like said!”

Maleficent nodded. “You returned them to me Beastie. For that I will always be in your debt.”  
Aurora frowned shaking her head. “No. I said we would take care of each other, Godmother. You would do the same for me.”  
Maleficent smiled sadly and nodded, then shifted and shook her head slightly. She cleared her throat.

“Your fath-the King threw a spear, I thought it was meant for me but it was feigned…he struck you…I nearly lost you again.” Maleficent swallowed a sudden lump in her throat.  
Aurora reached out a hand and grasped one of Maleficent’s weakly, giving it a squeeze. “I’m sorry,” she said after a long stretch of silence.

“What?” Maleficent’s brow furrowed as she regarded the princess.

“For what I said before I left for the castle. I didn’t mean it. I was just hurt…I didn’t mean any of it.”  
Maleficent reached out her other hand and ran the backs of her fingers along Aurora’s cheek. “There is nothing to be sorry for my sweet Aurora.”

Aurora bit her lip, but after a breath nodded. “Alright. Perhaps we can pretend yesterday did not happen?”

“What?” Maleficent asked, this time with a laugh. She spread her wings for emphasis and Aurora giggled and rolled her eyes.

“Obviously it did happen, or I’d be out collecting berries and black nuts for our breakfast. But Let’s pretend it didn’t. Can we just…live here and be happy?”

Maleficent felt her eyes sting. “I’d like that Beastie.”

Aurora smiled brighter than the rising sun. “I can’t wait…” Aurora’s eyes grew heavy as her exhaustion took over and the princess slipped back into unconsciousness.

“Rest well, Beastie.” Maleficent’s lip twitched into a small smile of her own. The fairy knew it was not as simple as the way Aurora had painted it. Stefan would likely be at the thorn wall within the day ready to begin their little war anew, but for now…there was peace.

**Author's Note:**

> I'm not certain where I was going with this story/ if there will be more, it was just an idea that came to mind while watching the movie.


End file.
